The USMCOC-NE started 2008 with a very busy events calendar. On February 6th, it organized a conference with Dr. Bruno Ferrari, the CEO of ProMexico, the new organization for international business promotion that was conceived and launched by President Calderon as a strategy to position Mexico as one of the top economies in the world and one of the best countries to do business with.

Dr. Ferrari’s presentation included a comprehensive description of the role of ProMexico as facilitator and guide for FDI and trade in Mexico, as well as an overview of the Investment opportunities in Infrastructure, Tourism, Real Estate and Biotech, among other sectors. The high turnout for the conference indicated the significant interest of the business community to invest in Mexico.

For the third year in a row, the USMCOC-NE, held its “III Annual Hispanic Market Forum” on February 19th. This year’s program started with an introductory discussion about Statistics and Demographics of Hispanics in the U.S. presented by Dr. Jeff Passel, Senior Research Associate at the PEW Hispanic Center. By putting into perspective the significant share of this market segment in the U.S., as well as its expected growth for the following years, Dr. Passel’s presentation was certainly an eye-opener for many attendees. The program continued with four specialized panels on the Evolution of U.S. Products and Services for the Hispanic Market, Mexican and Emerging Companies in the Hispanic Market, Latest Developments in Hispanic Media, and Sports and Entertainment, in which experts discussed and exchanged ideas among themselves as well as with the audience. The dynamic format of the panels ensured that the conference was both informative and interactive.

The USMCOC-NE was especially pleased to host a welcoming reception for Ambassador Ruben Beltran, the new Consul General of Mexico in New York. This members-only cocktail was a great opportunity to meet Ambassador Beltran and to learn about his different projects and initiatives.

On March 7th the U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce organized the conference “Mexico’s National Infrastructure Program”. The event featured Oscar de Buen, Undersecretary of Infrastructure, Mexico's Ministry of Communications and Transportation as keynote speaker. In addition, Federico Patiño, Deputy General Director of Investment Banking, Nacional Financiera provided some supplementary remarks.

Oscar de Buen made a detailed presentation about the National Infrastructure Program for the 2007-2012 period, including the expected investments in the communications and transportation sectors, the strategic projects of the program, and the financing options that will generate the resources needed to complete these projects. Mr. de Buen emphasized that President Calderon has allocated a record-level budget to the infrastructure sector, which opens numerous investment opportunities for the private sector.

Federico Patiño introduced the audience to the recently established National Infrastructure Fund, a financial vehicle to finance the country’s infrastructure projects. According to Mr. Patiño, the Fund will have a variety of financial instruments that will encourage private participation. The specific functioning and structure of the fund is still under development, but their first operations are expected to start soon which will be focused in road and toll road projects.

The conference had a very positive response from the audience. Around 90 top-level executives representing the most prestigious financial institutions, investment banks, infrastructure developers, law firms, strategic consultants, accounting firms, insurance companies as well as other members of the Chamber, attended the event.

As closing of the events of 2008 first quarter, in partnership with other Chambers from Spain and Latin America, the USMCOC-NE co-organized the eighth edition of the Spain & Latin America networking event. This year, over 260 executives from the Latin American and Spanish business community gathered for a business card exchange and enjoyed delicious Latin food served by La Rural, a newcomer in the New York restaurant arena.

 

February 2008
Wednesday 6th
ProMexico: Investment Opportunities in Mexico, Bruno Ferrari
 

Tuesday 19th
III Annual Hispanic Market Forum